


Outcasts

by ScreamingParrot



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms
Genre: Abuse, Child Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, drugs & alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 08:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20255440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScreamingParrot/pseuds/ScreamingParrot
Summary: A short glimpse into Merle and Daryls home life





	Outcasts

Sunday afternoon and he was already high, what a shitty life, leaning back on the bench Merle lit his smoke ignoring the filthy looks the mothers threw his way as a few of them ushered their kids out of the small play park

The Dixons wernt people you wanted to associate with, buy your drugs off yeah they always had quality stuff, but they drew the line letting their kids play together

The others mothers did their best to keep their brats attention away from the dirty little 5 year old running around cussing at an imaginary dragon as he waved a stick through the air

With only half an eye on Daryl and the remining butt of his smoke dangaling from his lips Merle began to roll his next one fingers quick and nimble hed done this thousands of times by now

Damn things would kill him one day if the pills didnt get him first, he chuckled to himself hed been smoking since 8 it dulled the hunger pains and there had always been more smokes hanging around the trailer than food

At least he tried to do better by his baby brother there had been nobody to look out for him,

Ma mustve been ok back in the beginning not that he could remember, no way would he of survived if she was as bad as now when he was born but shed gone downhill fast by Daryls age he was pretty much feral spending his days theaving food in town or running through the woods

Glancing up a cute blond was helping her kid climb the bars one hand hovering inches from their back the other cradaling her stomach

The guilt hit hard

He'd been too young to know 6 or 7 maybe, if he had gone to school more would he have known what to do?

He remembered his ma's distended stomach so obvious on her thin frame

The arguing that got worse the bigger she got, that was when pa got more handsy with him he shuddered

The baby came early ma said, Will was away had got a gig on a truck for a week or two it wouldnt last none of his jobs did, a shreak of panic dragged Merle back to reality momentarily

Daryl had been clambering up the monkey bars almost at the top and still gripping his stick grining like an idiot when he slipped and fell taking the other child with him, it was screaching blue murder damn thing only fell a few rungs, the mother scooped the child up kissing its scrapped knee before deciding the park wasnt the best place to be today

"Cant you watch him properly? he needs to be supervised up so high" she said as they left

"Fuck you ya dumb whore" he spat at her as they hurried away

Daryl was unfazed brushing a few of the stray twigs and leaves from his slight frame before throwing himself towards the swings not a tear or wimper escaping him

Pa had done much worse to them the fall was nothing still Merle was proud of the brat Dixons didnt cry

The kid was tough hed need to be not like her she hadnt lasted, so fragile, he could still remember the day

Ma had been high but in good spirits she was off into town to pick up a john to make some cash for smokes or booze while Pa was out trucking again he wouldve been good at it if he wasnt always drunk so Merle had been left watching his baby sister she had figured out how to crawl a few days back and now there was no stopping her as she zoomed around the trailer floor stuffing fag ends into her mouth before peeping in triumph at her prize grasped tightly in chubby hands as she sat back on her bum chewing on the empty beer bottles cool glass neck easing her teeth through sore gums

Little Merle had hauled her up on his hip absently digging the butts from her mouth and replacing them with half a stale craker before plopping her back on the floor as he turned on the tv

Maybe if he had kept hold of her she wouldve been ok

Ma and her John had stumbled through the door drunk and high to a happy screach of recognition from the baby as she speed crawled towards them

They were too caught up in each other even as Merle moved to grab her the sickening crunch of her tiny arm snapping as the John kicked her out of the way echoed around the trailer

They didnt break their kiss as her screams rang out Merle had tackled their legs trying desperately to get them away from her

It didnt work Ma slumped down on the couch glassy eyed and vacant as the john hauled Merle up by his shirt before throwing him at the wall, he must have blacked out after that

Waking the next day it looked to be past noon and Merle had been tucked up in his bed his head hurt and so did his chest looking back that was probably his first broken rib not that he knew at the time

Hearing the bed springs creak Ma had called out to him from the kitchen a single pill on the table for him with a glass of milk that wasnt quite off downing them both quickly Merle turned to go get his sister ignoring the bruses that coverd his mothers skin, her own damn fault for letting the arsehole in

Searching his ma's room his sister was nowhere to be found her little excuse for a crib was gone too, he started to search the rest of the trailer

"Ma I cant find Dixie"

"Who?"

"Tha' baby you aint named 'er so i did, wheres she at? need ta check 'er arm"

There was no reply Ma just stared right ahead unblinking as she took another drag on the cigarette

"Ma where's Dixie?

Ma and Pa had only brought her up once more in passing after Daryl was born many years later as they wondered breifly if this one would last longer she was never mentioned again

Merle was older when the next baby arrived so he took care of Daryl, had named him properly this time not just using their surname had changed him made sure he ate something each day had clothes that kinda fit they might as well have some growing room in em saved buying too often, kept Pa from whippin him too much or going too far

It was all change now though, he was leaving

they had a few hours left together till he had to leave, he had joined the military to go off fighting some assholes war for him so he could send enough money home to keep his folks in booze and drugs if they were happy theyd be less likely to hurt his brother and no one round here would hire a Dixon

there had been nobody to take him to the park when he was little, nobody to protect him when Pa grabbed his belt and he had been too young to save Dixie but hed do right by Daryl nobody would hurt him not if he could help it

"Comon Darlena, yah hungry?"


End file.
